Speaking out about the investigation into the actions of Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino, current Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said he feels the situation is a "witch hunt" and offered his support of the Jayhawks' embattled coach.

"Heaven forbid somebody should ask a (player) to pay attention and focus in for the sake of all his teammates and coaches and everyone else," Leach said during Monday morning's Big 12 coaches teleconference. "Well, there’s different ways to ask a guy to do that, and sometimes, after you’ve asked him a number of times, you raise the bar.

"The mean man told some player something he didn’t want to hear," he added, in mock horror. "Well, there’s a mean man in Lubbock that tells people stuff they don’t want to hear, too, and that’s just part of it.”

Leach served as an assistant with Mangino at Oklahoma under head coach Bob Stoops in 1999.

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, meanwhile, said incidents like the ones described by former players in recent days likely didn't occur when Mangino served under Snyder for eight years at K-State.

"That didn't happen to my knowledge," Snyder said. "Not a whole lot slips under the radar from that respect. He handled the players well."

Stoops, while reserving comment on the specific allegations, indicated that Mangino always cared for his players' well-being.

“He was very close with them, appreciated them, did everything that was appropriate,” Stoops said.

More like this story on LJWorld.com

Comments

There is a heck of a lot of difference between being assistant and being the head coach where all the blame lies. I'm just curious why none of this came out before this year including his first few years.

If a coach cannot disipline his players then it will come to be that players will govern the field and not the coaches. All of these coaches know that and they need to very afraid of what is going on with Coach Mangino because it will set a precedent.

If you can go by what has been said, the recent incidents are just the latest in a line of things he has supposedly done. Some have definitely been documented. So if he's had issues in the past and was warned, counseled etc and then it has continued, he may well be in the hot seat.

What else is Pirate Leach, Stoops and Snyder going to say. Mangino worked with Leach and for Stoops and Snyder. If he messed up while working for them, then that would look bad on their resume and possible lawsuits.

rgh, it's simple. It didn't come out before this year because we were winning. Many of these incidents occurred in the Orange Bowl year. This has only come out now because of the current Win-Loss record.

It has been a few years and things change but I never knew any ball players who expected to play college level or above that didn't realize at some point they and their coach would be headed to the hospital together so the coach could get his shoe back while you were getting stitched up.

A lot of these star athletes have been treated special most of their life and think they are little deities who can not be wrong. Someone has to be able to reign them in, in a form that they will understand. It is pretty hard to mold 250 pounds of youthful muscle and attitude by giving them a timeout to set in the corner to avoid hurting their feelings.

Mike Leach is right. Jason Whitlock of the KC Star and then several of the reports from the LJW are leading the witch hunt. The articles are all already talking about Mangino like he has been fired. I wonder what the LJW will have to say if Mangino doesn't get canned (because is KU athletics really going to pay him 6 miillion dollars when this horse and pony show is done and there is no wrongdoing found)?

So if Mangino keeps his job and goes up against Leach, Stoops or Snyder for a recruit, who is going to be the first to bring up player treatment at Kansas? Leach, Stoops and Snyder will ALL throw out the issue for the recruit and his family to ponder. They can say what they want right now but they will use it against the big guy in recruiting.

Who cares what other Big 12 coaches say? Are we really supposed to believe that because they defend Mangino, these coaches won't use this debacle against KU when they are out recruiting players? Please. They can just mind their own freaking business.

MANGINO IS THE MOST SUCCESFUL COACH IN K.U. FOOTBALL HISTORY. I DID NOT SAY MOST WINS. HE HAS WON MORE GAMES IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF YEARS AS ANYONE BEFORE HIM. WITH JUST 2 MORE WINS, WILL EVEN HAVE RECORD ALSO.

IT IS A "WITCH HUNT", LED BY BIG LEW SO HE CAN GET HIS OWN [U CONN] MAN IN. REALLY SAD IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

Lew Perkins and Turner Gill are going to flush the KU football tradition down the toilet. But Gill is going to be the football coach. I guarantee it. If the boosters / alumni are upset only winning 5 games with Mangino, get ready for riots once Gill comes in.

Did any of you really expect coaches Leach, Stoops or Snyder to say a bad word about a fellow coach? Coach Mangino could kick puppies and steal candy from little kids and his fellow coaches would liken him to Mother Teresa,

I'm not saying Mangino's a good guy or a bad guy. I'm saying that going to his fraternity brothers probably isn't the best gauge of his character.

Saturday as I watched the KU vs. Texas Football game last night I was angry. Not at Mark Mangino, not at the players but at Lew Perkins. The same Lew Perkins “who pulled the plug” on the Wichita State Football Team. Perkins and his staff did more to defeat our University of Kansas Football Team than did the Univ. of Texas Football Team. Not only did Perkin’s actions help defeat our football team but he also committed a selfish act that has cast a dark shadow over the athletic department, the University of Kansas, its friends, and alumni. What Perkin’s has done is reprehensible. His actions can be summed up in two words total betrayal. It appears that Perkins has broken every rule in human resource management. Because of the pending investigation there are no valid excuses for releasing confidential institutional, personal and contractual information to the media! How often have he and his staff refused to release other athletic department information to the media? In the past it has taken threats of lawsuits and actual legal action by the media to get information released. Now all of a sudden this information is seemingly being released at will. This sudden change of behavior makes this look like a “witch hunt”. This is not an internal investigation but a public media trial. In the business world because of the tenuous position in which he has exposed his department he would be censured or required to resign. Because of his personal actions he has exposed the University to the liability of a very large lawsuit. Mangino may been wrong but Perkins irresponsible actions are absolutely negligent.

Lew is the best sports execuitive in the country. This is a simple internal investigation that people are turning into gossip queens over and freaking out about. Simply, if it's determined that Mangino violated the terms of his contract, and endangered the safety of student athletes then I will remember him fondly and appreciate his service. I will also hope that we can obtain Turner Gill because he is one of the top player motivators in the game and a great recruiter.

athletic dept. is way out of control. The money machine runs right along. They will steamroller anyone that does not pay homage. No employee could posslibly say their true feelings or they will be gone by some trumped up excuse.

It is all about Lew, the deep pockets of KU Alums and getting rid of Mangino so they can get someone that will look better on the sidelines. No where is anyone reporting about the impact on the players, especially the seniors. DOES LEW care about them? Absolutely NOT. The poor woman conducting the investigation will end up losing her job too. Hide and watch. This entire situation is about LEW and LEW GETTING WHAT HE WANTS. Get your checkbook out Lew because you are going to write a huge check before this is all done....all could have had the same outcome, but no you had to make it all public. YOU ARE A JOKE LEW!!

The only two comments I have are unrelated to whether Mangino is a good coach or whether or not he should be retained. I have no idea. Most people like sausage but wouldn't want to be around to see it made. That's for sure.

The first point is about the leak to the media. Stupid no matter how you look at it. If you're going to drop the hatchet, you do it on the coach, not on the very school and alums who pay your salary. Putting KU out there for ridicule twice this year is the dumbest thing in the world. Discretion, Lew.

Secondly, obesity-haters, the weight issue is a non-issue. Isn't Lawrence famous for celebrating the feel-good, Imma do what I want, live how I want to live, White Owl, Honk For Hemp, diversity capital of the Midwest? Isn't that Mangino's right? Otherwise, aren't we big (I was going to say "fat") hypocrites?

I'm going to wait until the investigation is complete. What we have heard thus far is rumor. I am amazed that any coach would take a side without knowing the facts. They can end up looking pretty silly if this turns out bad. Coach yells at athletes....Bill Self does that. This must be more than that, lets wait and see.

It might be wise to wait until the investigation is completed. If Mangino is fired, there will be man more 'incidents' that are revealed. The investigation alone will damage recruiting which will impact winning and thus athletic. income.
dept
There is no way that the only evidence is a poke and the coach's waist size. There is more to what has gone on and it is a bigger issue now that a team that should have won the Big 12 north is last.
The lesson will be: as a coach if you want to be a abusive jerk, you had better win.

Coach Mangino....Lets think of this.....you came here and you made something out of nothing...during a early press confrence you said " why cant they win here?"....with you and your fighting spirit..we became winners... so lets follow the famous speech from Jack Nicholson in the movie "a few good men" but let's but some football terms in there:
"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH"

PEOPLE, WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT HAS FOOTBALL,
AND THOSE GAMES HAVE TO BE COACHED BY MEN THAT HAVE KNOWLEDGE LEARNED BY MANY HOURS OF PRACTICE...
WHO'S GONNA DO IT? ...YOU?..HOW ABOUT YOU LEW?
I HAVE A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY FATHOM.....
YOU WEEP WHEN IT'S TIME TO PRACTICE AND YOU CURSE THE COACHES....
YOU HAVE THAT LUXURY!
YOU HAVE THAT LUXURY OF NOT KNOWING WHAT I KNOW.....THAT PRACTICE, WHILE HARD PROBABLY WINS GAMES....AND MY EXISTENCE, WHILE GROTESQUE AND IMCOMPREHENSIBLE TO YOU...HAS WON GAMES HERE!!!!!
YOU DONT WANT THE TRUTH BECAUSE DEEP DOWN IN PLACES YOU DONT TALK ABOUT IT BUT...."YOU WANT ME ON THAT SIDELINE...YOU NEED ME ON THAT SIDELINE"....
WE USE WORDS LIKE "EXIT"..."ACE" AND "PRIDE"...WE USE THESE WORDS FOR A BACKBONE OF OUR PROGRAM THAT WE TEACH EACH DAY...YOU USE THESE WORDS AS A PUNCHLINE....
I HAVE NEITHER THE TIME NOR THE INCLTHINATION TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO A MAN WHO RISES AND SLEEPS UNDER THE TOUGH LOVE AND WISDOM THAT I GIVE EACH PRACTICE AND THEN QUESTIONS THE MANNER IN WHICH I PROVIDE IT!!!!
I WOULD RATHER YOU SAID..."YES SIR, I'LL DO BETTER BECAUSE PRACTICE MAKES THE TEAM BETTER"...AND THEN GO ON AND BECOME BETTER..OR I SUGGEST YOU TURN IT IN AND NOT WASTE OUR TIME..BUT EITHER WAY..I DONT GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU THINK THE TRUTH IS!......
this old drill sgt thinks your doing just fine....if they wont wont back you in a fight...why bring them to the fight...

I like Mangino, and feel he is getting railroaded.
But at the same time, this is the way the game is played. It is high stakes and cut-throat.
I feel bad that this is happening, but Mangino has been well compensated, and will leave a millionaire. Thanks in large part to Perkins as much as anyone.

I remember the last time the KU Ad fired the Football coach we wound up losing a pretty good basketball coach too. I realize there were several other things involved with that fiasco. But I can't help but think Bill Self is paying close attention to the tacky, unprofessional way this is being played out. I'm sure he has raised his voice with some of the BB players from time to time also. I hope I'm wrong but I'm afraid Perkins has destroyed the KU football program for a long time to come. I just hope it doesn't bleed over into our BB Program as well.

Typical. Ku fans showing their dillusion once again. This has nothing to do with disciplining players. Yelling at players to motivate them is fine. This is Mangino's total disregard for human beings feelings. He told a kid that he would “send him back to STL to get shot with his homies” after the kids brother was murdered. And you people are defending him!! Screw Mike Leach as well if he stands behind that.

This is about Mangino's problems (yes he has had many)

To name a few:

1) Academic Fraud

2) Probation

3) Mangino cheating on his own entrance exam which he confessed to

4) Letting players that had failed drug test go ahead and play.

5) Getting banned from all Kansas State High School Athletic events for berating officials

What else do you people need? This is a sad human being. He has received chance after chance after chance and still goes on with these types of actions. I don't know which is worse, Mangino, or you people that are defending him. This is a pattern. The guy is a scumbag and he is splashing more mud on the face of KU, than there already has been in recent months. This is laughable that you all are defending him. As an MU fan I love it. Gets us the better end on recruits that we are going head to head vs. KU with. If this was Pinkle, he would have been called to resign immediately after the first or second infraction. he wouldn't have even made it to this year. But KU has never been accused of having any type of integrity anyways. Incredible!

Pilgrim2,
I agree, we're no better than anyone else, but after the post-Norm years, MU imploded. That jerk's memory is short. I'll bring up the name Ricky Clemmons, and if that doesn't shut him up, he's really as ignorant as he sounds.

Actually pilgrim2 and jkilgore, the Ricky Clemons thing was a ojne time incident that got dealt with and most of Mizzou nation was calling for Snyder's head (and Alden's). But that one incident is nothing compared to the things KU bball and football have done since PErkins came on.

-Lack of instituional control
-Probation
-lost scholarships
-Academic fraud
-allowing grad assistants to take players test
-allowing players to fail drug test and still play them
-Bill Self illegally talking to recruits
-KU miraculously getting 5 players past the NCAA clearinghouse on the final day...hmmm...

One scandal at Mizzou comapred to 10 at KU. Yeah you shut me up with that one alright :)

You people defending Mangino and his scum bag behavior on and off the field show KU fans true colors...win at all costs, regardless.